Bonjour!

Bonjour!
I’m a 51 year old mother of five amazing daughters and wife to a caring, sensitive AND sexy husband. I adore my family. I’m dedicated to my faith. I enjoy a good laugh. I'm nostalgic and love to reminisce. "Remember" is my favorite word in the English language. I love life! I’m passionate about music, food and {dreams of} traveling the world. I wanna be a castle and waterfall chaser. I’m fascinated with anything European. {PARIS! Hello!} I love celebrating anything and everything! I love to read, especially a good biography, mystery, Regency Era Romance or Historical fiction novel. I love thoughtful gift giving. To me the gift wrap is almost as important as the gift itself. I have a bit of an obsession with gift boxes and gift bags. As well as old world maps & globes, apothecary bottles and jars! I love being creative…bolts of ribbon, coordinating scrapbook papers, producing a table scape, or planning décor for a themed party puts a smile on my face. I love the details! I’m a freak for anything theme oriented. I enjoy event planning, but oddly enough do not like to host or entertain. I enjoy fashion, but have to really be in the mood to clothes shop. I love purses and funky costume jewelry. Especially big rings! I’d rather wear wedges or heels any day than flats. I enjoy decorating and searching for the perfect decorative pillow or picture. However, you’ll never see me frequent high-end stores. I'm more of a Ross, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning kind of gal. My favorite decor style is an old world rustic Italian chateau/Spanish Villa look with a hint of bohemian! OR a vintage shabby chic French country cottage/English cobblestone farmhouse. My #1 cookie-Molasses! Autumn is my favorite season. I’d go through childbirth a million times. I enjoy biking with my man, Pilates, and power walking. You’ll never find me in a gym working out. I love movies, whether watching them in the theatre or cuddled up on the couch with my family. I enjoy a good chick flick or real life drama! I'm a sucker for movies on the Hallmark & Great American Family Channel. I have a tender heart for the elderly. I adore Disneyland. I enjoy being in the canyon on a summer or fall evening at dusk. I love my friends. While I have some extroverted characteristics. I’m a self proclaimed introvert. I’m generally quiet, calm, reserved and pretty darn private. Why in the heck do I blog? It’s a creative way to record family history. I enjoy photography. I really don’t like to write, although I write in my journal often. My journals, patriarchal blessing, scriptures, quote book, and beloved Christmas tree filled with ornaments of family memories are among my prized possessions. I love the beach. I enjoy WWII history. I love a clean, orderly house, but ours usually looks lived in. ;) PBS Masterpiece is my friend. I adore Jane Austen films. They transport me to another time and place. If I had to choose another time period in which to live, early 19th Century England would be my pick. "Sense and Sensibility" is my all time favorite movie. My 3 favorite TV series are...BBC's Larkrise to Candleford, the 1950's Spanish Drama "Velvet," and the travel/food show "Somebody Feed Phil." My biggest pet peeve is people who blow their noses in public. So gross! {Take it to the bathroom people.} I’d go on a wine tasting vacation if it wasn’t against my religion. I’ve always wanted to adopt a baby from a foreign country. I’m an avid BYU football fan. I'm a Educational Support Professional. I tutor elementary kids in phonemic awareness, phonics, reading, fluency and comprehension. I love our campfires at Scofield Lake. I have a 'thing' for fairy gardens, Gallic French roosters, fresh flowers in a vase, pretty bowls & plates, and yummy smelling candles & soap. I love summer rainstorms and warm baths. I'm a scripture podcast fanatic. I'm also a fan of several Fox News shows; Hannity and Dave Ramsey Talk Radio. I very much miss Rush Limbaugh! I hate when my kids have homework. I'd rather clean 20 toilets than give a talk or prayer in church. I have quite a collection of Madame Alexander Dolls, children's books, Disney pins, and quotes. My favorite quote is "Don't underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak & notice more than you realize." True True LOL! I always prefer sitting in a back row versus the front. {I'm sort of a seat snob..yikes} I also have high expectations for my lemonade, salsa, and french fries too. HA! I work well behind the scenes. I love a good Dateline, 20/20 or 48 Hour Mystery. I’m a night owl. I'd rather be cold than hot. I love to budget our finances! I enjoy being a chauffeur to my children. I'm not a huge fan of social media. I don't snap, pin or tweet. All I want for Christmas every year is a ticket to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. It's my FAVORITE. I’m an Anglophile…a royal watcher who loves anything English! Especially tea parties! I would like to serve a church mission to England with Jaren someday. I'm queen of paper towel, used kitchen dishrags and sponges kinda make me squirm. You’ll rarely find me out of the house not ready for the day, except when driving the kids to school on the days I don't work. I feel naked without lipstick or lip gloss. Mismatched socks, chipped fingernail polish, chapped lips and brownie crumbs on the floor drive me nuts! I like to organize and BE organized..but not saying I always am. ;) I enjoy hiking to waterfalls, ATV’ing with my family and snowshoeing with the hubs. Although I enjoy collecting recipes and occasionally watch cooking shows... (Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, Paula Deen, Jamie Oliver, and the Pioneer Woman are my favorites) I’d rather not cook. Eating out is so much more fun. I'm a foodie. I live to EAT! LOL Trying new foods and restaurants is a favorite past-time, and believe it or not so is intermittent fasting. I'm not good at a lot of things... but gosh, if you need help with a themed celebration or someone to enjoy good food with, I'm your girl. I love the joy of anticipation and the celebration of holidays. Family traditions are important to me. I'm a memory preserver. I'm a pathological picture taker ;) a visual storyteller, and a lover of happy lists!

My Fam!

My Fam!

The Hubs and I

The Hubs and I

My Girls!

My Girls!

Kyleigh Dawn (28)

Kyleigh Dawn (28)

Emma Abigail (26)

Emma Abigail (26)

Hannah Isabelle (23)

Hannah Isabelle (23)

Brielle Olivia (19)

Brielle Olivia (19)

Kate Evangelene Lyllie (13)

Kate Evangelene Lyllie (13)

Mr. Charles "Bingley" Wentworth III (4 yrs.)

Colonel Edward Fitzwilliam "Darcy", Duke of Westridge (3 yrs.)

My Man!

My Man!

Good Times!

Good Times!

Wedding Day 5*17*22

Lillian "Lilly" Belle

Disney Food Fun! 2019

Disneyland Tips

What I Believe!

Our Missionary

We Bleed Blue! {Except for the Poppi}

My list of favorite movies!

Learn more about Dyslexia!

Music To My Ears!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

What's On My Happy List?

 Back to School! 
 My Hannie started Junior High! Goodness me. Her first day was last Friday where the seventh graders got the school all to themselves. Helps them acclimate to their new surroundings without so many students. Such a great idea. Ever since registration, where we went to the school and located where her classes and locker would be, she wasn't nervous to start. There still was a little question though whether she could get her locker open by herself. 
 Those dang lockers! I was actually helping other people that couldn't get theirs open as I apparently have a knack for it. We spent quite a bit of time in that 110 degree building working to make sure Hannah had it. It was a struggle.  One of those sweat dripping down your back kind of experiences. so lovely.


Morning of she still wasn't excited that school was starting up again but she wasn't freaked out. Good sign. We are almost a week into it and she has done surprisingly well getting up so early. I knew that would be a huge challenge for her.  She has to be up, ready and leaving for the bus by 7:20.  
 After going from store to store we finally found a backpack she liked. Had no idea how picky she was about her backpacks.
 Emma was a big help getting Hannah prepared for the big first day. She could have slept in because she didn't have school that day but she got up early and helped Hannah with her hair. She carried her backpack to the bus stop since it had about everything in it but the kitchen sink. Earlier I had asked Hannah if she was prepared with a certain feminine item to stash away in her backpack for future use in case ya know...heaven forbid the first visit from aunt flo comes while she is at school. She said Emma had already given her a little bag with such items. I just thought that was so sweet of Emma to be looking out for her little sister.

 Meeting up with her best friend Emma to catch the bus....



For a little after school surprise I bought these already decorated cupcakes at the grocery store. I poked some new clean crayons in them to make them even cuter. The free "piece of cake" download is from Happy Home Fairy.


She survived and actually had a good day with out any major hic ups...and she got her locker open the first time!


 My little B. is now a 2nd grader....Boy was she sick to her stomach the morning of the first day. Poor thing. Her nerves get her all worked up. She tends to be more that way like her oldest sister. Daddy gave all five girls a priesthood blessing on Sunday night. {We are so grateful for a good Dad!} That will surely help but she was not in the least excited about going back....Do you kind of get the idea that my kids would just rather be at home? lol We are homebodies. no doubt.

Dance also resumed for her and Hannah the first day of school so we are into things full swing...minus a few extra curricular activities that we have decided to drop. We are simplifying..and it's going to be so nice! As I get older I've realized the less overly busy I want to be. I crave balance, calm and order with occasional {not everyday} bursts of crazy and excitement.

Brie has gone with a little British fashion flare this week...




British Bobs. AHHH!!!


Used a free printable from the Celebration Shoppe to make an easy little back to school treat for Brie's teacher. Hannah didn't have school the day everyone else started so she was able to tend Kate for me while I took Brie to school and then escape for our traditional first day breakfast at Kneaders with girlfriends. Enjoyed that outing so much!


Emma is a Freshman at the Junior High! She has so many of her close friends in her classes you'd think she would love going to school each day. Um....not so much. She started Seminary and that was the highlight and her favorite class of the day. She's in a math class with only eight girls and 19 boys. Not her favorite. She is still playing the flute in the school's Symphonic Band but insists this is her last year. {Playing in high school is dorky, she says.} Her bagpipe band had a concert in the park in Bountiful last week. She did awesome! And she even got her first bagpipe paying gig lined up today for a church event. We are giving up art lessons for awhile. Both she and Hannah. Kinda sad, but we are having the girls choose one extra curricular activity each. Life will be less crazy... YEAH!!!

Snagged this photo as I was driving off....

Kyleigh started her Junior Year! {Don't you love what we call her Lamanite earrings?}  She was about in tears the night before school started... Honestly she wouldn't be dreading going back so bad if it weren't for Drill. Drill this summer kicked her in the be-hiney. It is hard! The early morning hours...the sore muscles, pain, exhaustion, lack of flexibility and tears. It basically ruined her summer. The whole thing is just too stressful, tiring, pressure packed, time consuming, let alone too expensive...She's had to give up being on the tennis team because of it, she's not going back for ballet or contemporary, and  will not be able to return to Irish dancing until after Nationals in March. We just got her drill schedule for the next few months. It is insane. Some weeks there will be drill 6 days a week. hours at a time.. The amount of time and effort and energy that goes into being on a team like this is intense. Is it worth it? That is yet to be seen. :) This was a prayerful decision for her though and she felt that it was the right choice to do this. So we are trying to be as positive and supportive as we can...and hope there are some life lessons for her along the way.

With her school load.. classes like Honors English, AP U.S. History, and 2 classes {math and finance} through the Community College, as well as being a M.A.G {Murray Associated Girl} officer where they help plan assemblies and dances....it's going to be a heck of a year for her.......

Then there was something called Homecoming.. By golly!!..There has been a bit of boy drama at our house...stayed tuned...

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